An Iditarod dog died after a snowdrift covered him during a windy night when he was left at a checkpoint set up for caring for the dogs in the race. According to Sports Illustrated on Sunday, March 17, 2013, the dog died of asphyxiation after getting covered in a snow mound created by severe wind.
It is not unusual for owners to leave their dogs at checkpoints if they are ill, injured or tired, especially if they can't keep up with the team. The dog belonged to rookie musher Paige Drobny's team and the media spoke with her husband over the incident.
Cody Strathe, Drobny's husband, said that both he and his wife are saddened over the loss of the dog, but they don't have much information about the dog's death. They are waiting for the results of the necropsy, which is the equivalent of an autopsy, but for dogs.
The fifty-five pound Dorado is described on the team's website as a “shy but happy dog.” This is the first dog death at the Iditarod since 2009.
Dorado was one of several dogs that were covered with a snow drift during a windy night, but he was the only one who lost his life. Race officials have declined to talk in any detail about the incident.
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